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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28887903">High Pride</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/WilmaKins/pseuds/WilmaKins'>WilmaKins</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Facility [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Body Worship, Bottom Tony Stark, Drug Use, Drugs, Established Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Hand Jobs, M/M, Marijuana, Recreational Drug Use, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, Steve Rogers smokes weed, Tony Stark smokes weed, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Top Steve Rogers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 08:42:17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,652</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28887903</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/WilmaKins/pseuds/WilmaKins</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve and Tony smoke a joint together after a hard day - and it turns out, Steve Rogers gets incredibly mushy when he's stoned...</p><p>Basically just incredibly fluffy smut, but please read the notes.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Steve Rogers/Tony Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Facility [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1936696</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>194</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>High Pride</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/tina_v/gifts">tina_v</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Another fic written for the 1k Follower Milestone, and technically a sequel to The Facility - although, don't worry, you really don't have to have read that first!</p><p>A few things I'd like to make clear about when my assumptions when writing this fic-<br/>That Tony is able to buy his drugs direct from a trusted source, and able to demand and be sure of a higher quality product than most people buying drugs in the real world.<br/>Both Tony and Steve have an enhanced biology - Steve because of the serum, and Tony because of the work Shuri did to fix his injuries after Siberia - which means they have fewer medical risks to consider, as compared to someone in real life.<br/>As alluded to in the fic, Steve and Tony have discussed this properly, and are confident that neither of them have any additional personal risk factors - such as a history of addiction, or underlying mental health conditions - that might form an important part of the decision to try drugs, for someone else.</p><p>Additionally, this is obviously a work of fantasy - which is to say, this is specifically telling the story of a GOOD experience with drugs, without reference to any of the unpleasant side effects or complications that could have come up.</p><p>I know the choice to try or abstain from different forms of intoxicants is a personal one, and a complex one, and I'm not going to tell anyone what they should and should not do - only that, whatever choice you personally come to, it should be based on a mature reading of the evidence as it affects you, and NOT based on a scene in a fanfic. This is not, and should not be taken as, an advertisement for weed.</p><p>If you DO want to read more about it, I have found https://www.talktofrank.com/ to be one of the more useful and more balanced sources out there.</p><p>Many thanks to Tina for the specific prompt. I hope she - and all of you! - enjoy it :-)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“You’re pacing.” </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Steve paused, halfway through yet another lap of the living room, and glanced over to where Tony was reclining on the couch, lazily scrolling through his emails.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hm?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I said, </span>
  <em>
    <span>you’re pacing</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Tony repeated, looking up from his phone screen to fix Steve with a knowing expression. Steve felt his shoulders fall, an unconscious surrender to the infallibility of Tony’s observation. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yes, he was pacing – and it meant exactly what Tony thought it meant.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Still thinking about that phone call with Everett Ross,” Steve muttered, clenching his jaw against the blush that ran up his neck. Tony’s sympathetic smile did nothing to make him feel better. Steve felt as uncomfortable about his preoccupation with that phone call as he had about the phone call itself. And while he appreciated the effort, Tony being nice about it just made it more real; it forced Steve to accept that it bothered him. “It’s ridiculous, and I should get over it,” he sighed, looking down at his hands.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But still he caught the movement of Tony sitting up, and folding his legs up under himself.   </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come,” Tony said, his voice warm and kind. Steve glanced up again to see Tony patting the seat beside him with an endearing enthusiasm, a playful smile on his lips. Something in Steve’s chest thawed a little, seeing that. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He loved that face </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> much.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m fine, really,” he insisted again, even as he was sloping over to the couch. He dropped into it heavily, letting his head fall back so that he could stare up at the ceiling… </span>
</p><p>
  <span>So that he could avoid making eye contact. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you want to rant about it anyway?” Tony asked lightly, shuffling closer. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No… No, even the ranting sounds ridiculous,” Steve sighed. “I mean, what am I going to say? ‘He talks like I’m a criminal’? To be fair… I </span>
  <em>
    <span>am </span>
  </em>
  <span>a criminal.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Actually, the charges against you were </span>
  <em>
    <span>dropped</span>
  </em>
  <span>, so technically you aren’t,” Tony reminded him, putting a gentle hand on his knee. Steve huffed out a joyless laugh.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They both knew that the charges being dropped had nothing to do with Steve being innocent. Steve’s team had been given a pardon because Thanos came so close to winning, and the international community had decided that they’d much rather have the Avengers on side – whether they were criminals or not.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Steve genuinely </span>
  <em>
    <span>didn’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> care what the international community thought of him. He’d only ever cared about explaining himself to </span>
  <em>
    <span>Tony</span>
  </em>
  <span>. So why he should be doing laps of his lounge, angrily reliving every passive-aggressive put down, he really didn’t know. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not with Tony sitting right </span>
  <em>
    <span>there</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve rolled his head, so that he could look over at Tony through his eyelashes. He watched Tony’s eyes soften in thought, his beautiful lips pursing gently… And Steve knew that there was nothing else that mattered.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So </span>
  <em>
    <span>why</span>
  </em>
  <span> was that irritation still nagging at him?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...I don’t even care what he thinks,” Steve sighed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know,” Tony smiled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s just…” but Steve didn’t have an end to that sentence, and the prospect of trying to find one seemed every bit as infuriating as wordlessly seething…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then he saw Tony’s thoughts spark into an idea, right there on his face. The particular way his smile broadened, the way his eyes darkened just so… </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve </span>
  <em>
    <span>felt</span>
  </em>
  <span> that. A shift in his mood, a lightening that no amount of logical debate or sensitive conversation could’ve achieved. Immediately, his weary arguments to Ross were replaced by a rush to guess what Tony was thinking…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We could just forget all about it and get stoned instead?” Tony suggested.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve blinked at him, his expression melting into a blank surprise for a second, if only because that hadn’t been any of the things he’d been expecting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>...</span>
  <em>
    <span>Although</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now that Tony mentioned it…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve felt a genuine smile warm through him, for the first time in hours. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Their mission to Anni Vara had been formative for both of them in lots of ways. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Obviously, it had provided the catalyst for he and Tony to finally </span>
  <em>
    <span>talk</span>
  </em>
  <span>, helping to heal the wounds of their old relationship and pushing them to admit their true feelings - and, for a while, Steve was so overwhelmed with being able to call Tony his boyfriend that he’d basically forgotten everything else. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was </span>
  <em>
    <span>weeks</span>
  </em>
  <span> after they came home, when Tony had first reminded Steve of the bottle of alien liquor that they’d brought back with them... </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The fact that, along with everything else, Anni Vara had given him the chance to get a little bit drunk, every once in a while.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Steve hadn’t expected that to mean as much as it did. He’d never been much of a drinker, and couldn’t remember missing it especially - and it wasn’t as though he and Tony had gotten </span>
  <em>
    <span>drunk</span>
  </em>
  <span> that night… But there was something so normal and human and nice about being able to get a little bit tipsy. Being able to take part in the ritual of relaxing after a long day </span>
  <em>
    <span>just like anyone else would</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Being able to join in… </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He knew that Tony had seen that reaction in him - he knew </span>
  <em>
    <span>that’s </span>
  </em>
  <span>what had driven Tony to muse further on the theory, to think scientifically about Steve’s immunity to alcohol… the things he might not be immune to…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was the probably the first time it had ever occurred to him that Steve might actually be interested in the idea-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was the first time it had occurred to </span>
  <em>
    <span>Steve</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Before Anni Vara, he would’ve run from that conversation before it even started, immediately terrified of all the uncertainties and vulnerabilities that it would inevitably entail. But things were different now. Steve could ask questions, without being anxious that he should already know the answers. He could at least </span>
  <em>
    <span>consider</span>
  </em>
  <span> indulging in a harmless vice, just for himself, now that he’d learned to live outside the myth of Captain America. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And, after the sort of honest, grown up conversation they could never have had a year ago, having weighed up all the legal, moral and medical arguments, Steve had decided that he </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> interested…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And that first time had been fun…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve let his smile break into a grin, his headache finally easing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure. Why not?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Three hours later, and Tony was sprawled out on the couch with his head in Steve’s lap. There was a large plate on the coffee table, bearing the remains of the cheese-covered french fries that’d seemed like </span>
  <em>
    <span>such</span>
  </em>
  <span> a good idea at the time. The TV was on, but Steve had long stopped paying attention to it. Instead, he and Tony had fallen into an entirely mindless conversation, drifting from line to line without any care to where they were going or where they had been. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve had no idea </span>
  <em>
    <span>how </span>
  </em>
  <span>he got to sharing his early childhood ambition of being a nurse, but here they were. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why, what did you want to be when you were really little?” He asked, his gaze resting comfortably in the middle distance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Doctor Who’s companion,” Tony answered immediately. Steve snorted a laugh. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Well, of course.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>And then another thought stirred in the warm fog of his mind, and he carried on giggling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Tony asked, smiling too much to achieve the mock-injured tone he was clearly going for.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m just imagining you walking into the TARDIS for the first time,” Steve replied, focusing his eyes again. And he </span>
  <em>
    <span>could</span>
  </em>
  <span> picture that, so clearly; the way Tony’s eyes would widen as he tried to take it all in, the thousands of questions that would immediately come tumbling out of his mouth - how quickly he’d take it all in his stride. Steve snorted another laugh. “You’d probably be driving it by the second week.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know how everyone who ever walks into the TARDIS is like, </span>
  <em>
    <span>how</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” Tony mused.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah…?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, can you imagine if a Time Lord walked into a room and was like, </span>
  <em>
    <span>oh my God, it’s </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>exactly</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> the same size on the inside as the outside - how?</span>
  </em>
  <span> I mean, </span>
  <em>
    <span>could</span>
  </em>
  <span> you explain that?” Tony frowned, thoughtfully. “I mean, </span>
  <em>
    <span>how</span>
  </em>
  <span> do you contain a room within the exact parameters of that room…?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Steve was quite sure he’d have giggled at that, whether he was stoned or not. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe, every Time Lord thinks the first human they meet is nuts, like, </span>
  <em>
    <span>what’s the problem?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Like, </span>
  <em>
    <span>what do you mean </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>how</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> is it bigger on the inside? What else would it be?</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Tony carried on, until the rhythm of Steve’s laughter disrupted him, and he paused, and looked up at Steve through those thick, dark lashes, an amused smile playing on his lips…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A tight arousal coiled through Steve’s hips, leaving a strangely sleepy awareness in its wake. Of course, Steve had read up on the effects of weed before he decided to try it, but none of the trendy websites or patronising pamphlets had mentioned this earthy heat that seemed to drag through him when he reached a certain point…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So, maybe that was just Tony.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Tony grinned, like he knew very well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just love you, is all,” Steve smiled back, stroking a hand through Tony’s hair…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>...Tony had such beautiful hair. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve had spent years stealing glances at all of the details that made up Tony Stark, daydreaming about a thousand little touches that he assumed he’d never know…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>...Tony’s hair was every bit as soft as it looked. It ran over Steve’s fingers like liquid silk, always falling back into those perfect almost-curls at the curve of his neck. That ethereal, inky black, that could flash silver or electric blue or warm chestnut under a change in the light-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You still with me, Steve?” Tony teased, tilting his head up ever-so-slightly, leaning into Steve’s hand. And Steve probably </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span> have some deep, meaningful thoughts about just how focused he was on Tony, how completely </span>
  <em>
    <span>in </span>
  </em>
  <span>this moment he was… How many dazzling, spectacular things he was in the middle of fully appreciating, how overjoyed and overwhelmed he was to think that those things were always there, just a part of his life now...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But he was stoned, and still partly distracted by counting the colours in Tony’s hair, so all of that came out as,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I’m… </span>
  <em>
    <span>especially</span>
  </em>
  <span>, with you…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then Tony caught his eye.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And they both burst out laughing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh God, I’m such a cliche,” Steve giggled, throwing his head back and covering his face with his hands. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>adorable</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Tony beamed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve made a mockery of all my own High-School PSAs,” Steve moaned theatrically, and Tony huffed another laugh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, they make a mockery of themselves, honey.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve attempted to shoot him an offended glance, but he was still smiling too much.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And, for what it’s worth, I think you’re still very much at the vanilla end of the cliche scale,” Tony assured him, warmly. “I mean, it’s not like I was ever in a drug crowd, so this is one of the few things I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> an expert on - but I don’t remember any PSAs foretelling the </span>
  <em>
    <span>horrors </span>
  </em>
  <span>of the munchies and the giggles.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve laughed again, his hand falling back into Tony’s hair…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How many times had you done this, before we did it?” He mused, for no other reason than he was thinking it. A mild curiosity that simply drifted through his head and out of his mouth - which was a delightful sort of freedom in itself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, only a few,” Tony remembered aloud. “Like, maybe three of four, mostly when I was just out of grad school… Actually, I only even tried it the first time because there was a girl at a party who asked if I wanted to try shotgunning, and I thought she was cute... and then I coughed in her face...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shotgunning?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hm? Oh, it’s… Actually, I don’t even know if people call it that anymore,” Tony frowned. “But, no, it’s when one person inhales, and then kind of breathes it into the other person's mouth...Which isn’t as awful as I’ve just made it sound. I think it’s meant to be an excuse to kiss people, except it isn’t anything like kissing, really...” And then he looked up, and must’ve seen the mild curiosity in Steve’s eyes, because he sighed and said, “I’m explaining it badly - you wanna see?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And Steve just smiled, and shrugged, </span>
  <em>
    <span>why not?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With considerable effort, Tony rolled over and reached for the ashtray on the coffee table, and the joint that had been sitting, forgotten, since they’d been struck by the cheese-covered-french-fries inspiration… </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve watched, comfortably mesmerised, as Tony sat himself up in his arms</span>
</p><p>
  <span>… The way he rolled his shoulders before he sparked the lighter</span>
</p><p>
  <span>… The way he pursed his lips lips as he took that first drag</span>
</p><p>
  <span>… The brief flash of red and gold as the end of the joint glowed into life, the way it made Steve think of the suit, bursting into flight...</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tony exhaled normally that time, before glancing up at Steve and raising his eyebrows, </span>
  <em>
    <span>you ready?</span>
  </em>
  <span> And Steve smiled, </span>
  <em>
    <span>yes</span>
  </em>
  <span>, without really thinking about it, simply because he </span>
  <em>
    <span>felt</span>
  </em>
  <span> ready, and calm, and trusting. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was mildly surprised when Tony pushed himself upright and shifted to straddle his lap - only because he’d not bothered to wonder </span>
  <em>
    <span>what</span>
  </em>
  <span> Tony was about to do...</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Although</span>
  </em>
  <span>... he did like Tony in this position…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That same heat curled through him, as Tony settled his weight against his hips, a low, compulsive throbbing through the core of him, slow and heavy and patiently insistent...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve allowed himself to relax into a contented grin, barely aware of the way he rocked into that feeling, bringing his hand to rest softly on the curve of Tony’s waist.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, so, you just...part your lips, and inhale, really,” Tony smiled. “That’s it.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve nodded, his eyes already falling to Tony’s mouth...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He </span>
  <em>
    <span>watched</span>
  </em>
  <span> as Tony tilted his chin up, bringing the joint to his lips, the column of his throat tightening just so as he took a long, slow drag…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The way his chest expanded, his hips rolling gently into the motion of it...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then Tony brought his free hand to the side of Steve’s face, resting his palm against the line of his jaw as he teased his thumb over Steve’s bottom lip, encouraging him to open his mouth…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was a strange feeling. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tony parted his lips and pressed them against Steve’s, but didn’t kiss him, holding his head still, his jaw oddly stiff as he exhaled, slowly. Steve let his eyes fall shut as he breathed him in, a tingling excitement building on his skin. He felt that dry heat at the back of his throat - less harsh, this way…  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>That now familiar taste filling his lungs... </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The damp heat of Tony’s mouth, right there…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a pleasant stirring that Steve was sure had nothing to do with the drugs, as Tony finally leaned back to let him breathe out. He opened his eyes as Tony twisted away from him to drop the joint back in the ashtray, Steve’s hands curling tighter around Tony’s hips, holding him close. And then Tony turned to face him again, looping a lazy arm around his neck and letting his forehead rest against Steve’s.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And, oh, he was stunning. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve was just so in love with every inch of him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He loved the shape of Tony’s shoulders and the sweep of his waist and the fluid lines of every muscle, the warmth of his skin, the sound of his breathing, the smell of his hair… </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That </span>
  </em>
  <span>smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And it wasn’t only that Tony’s lips were beautiful - which, obviously, Steve had noticed at a glance, the very first time he saw him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was seeing that particular, playful smile and knowing it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>Tony’s</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Feeling that rush of love and affection that had grown a little more, every single time Tony smiled at him. Remembering a thousand acts of daring and genius, innumerable wonderful human qualities, feeling as though he could somehow </span>
  <em>
    <span>see</span>
  </em>
  <span> all of that in that specific little grin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You get more beautiful every time I see you,” Steve sighed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know, I think you’re just forgetting how incredibly hot I looked the last time you saw me,” Tony joked. The same type of joke he’d been ‘mindlessly’ throwing into conversations for as long as Steve had known him - but Steve understood them now. He could see so much more of the intelligence and kindness and sweetness in Tony, right there, in this one little gesture. Steve could </span>
  <em>
    <span>feel</span>
  </em>
  <span> it, as a light, swelling sensation in his chest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tony.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>His</span>
  </em>
  <span> Tony. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“See, this is an excellent example of what I mean,” Steve said - for no reason other than he wanted to say it. Even though he knew he’d never manage to explain this, even though he already expected it to end in another cliche and a fit of the giggles… he just wanted to share what he was thinking. Just because it was fun. “You would’ve made that same joke the day I met you. And I would have thought you were hot, because I </span>
  <em>
    <span>did </span>
  </em>
  <span>think that the day I met you - and then I probably would’ve gotten all confused and angry about it, but that’s a whole other thing-” he paused as Tony huffed a surprised laugh, waiting until he caught his eye again before he carried on, “I </span>
  <em>
    <span>always</span>
  </em>
  <span> thought you were beautiful, obviously. But I wouldn’t have known you were really trying to </span>
  <em>
    <span>deflect </span>
  </em>
  <span>a compliment, or that you were actually a little bit shy, or how adorable I’d find that. Or how clever you were being, or how sweet you were being. I wouldn’t have just looked at you and known… </span>
  <em>
    <span>that’s Tony</span>
  </em>
  <span>. It wouldn’t have been </span>
  <em>
    <span>as</span>
  </em>
  <span> beautiful then, as it is now…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was briefly distracted by the sweep of Tony’s lashes as he lowered his eyes, the hint of a blush glowing over his cheeks… </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You get incredibly mushy when you’re stoned,” Tony muttered, pinching back a shy smile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bet I wouldn’t, if I was getting stoned with anyone else…” Steve observed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, no, you </span>
  <em>
    <span>better</span>
  </em>
  <span> not,” Tony deadpanned, raising an eyebrow at him-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was just too well delivered for Steve to do anything </span>
  <em>
    <span>but</span>
  </em>
  <span> laugh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tony simply smiled at him affectionately, an occasional giggle bubbling over his lips as he waited for Steve to get ahold of himself. And then, when Steve had managed to take a deep breath, Tony kissed his forehead very softly, sending a little shiver through the small of Steve’s back that was still tingling when Tony carried on,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you remember that mattress commercial that used to run on the local news channel, back when we first moved into the Tower? And it was just lots of close ups of people's faces while they yawned, in slow motion?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes!” Steve laughed - not even bothering to ask himself why Tony was bringing it up. Just immediately amused to remember something he hadn’t thought about in years… But yeah, now that Tony mentioned it, that ad ran </span>
  <em>
    <span>all the time</span>
  </em>
  <span> back in 2012, “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Nobody looks good when they’re yawning</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” he remembered aloud, completely with the jaunty intonation. Tony giggled again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s the one,” he nodded… blushing already… “Well, you won’t remember this, but I got back to the Tower one night, really late, hours after you and Nat had come back from some mission - and whatever it was, it must’ve really taken it out’ve you, ‘cos you’d fallen asleep in the breakroom…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve felt a sudden swell of inspiration, intense and immediate enough that it almost pushed his next thought right out of his mouth. But he bit it back. He held it there on the tip of his tongue, willing himself to remember it, still determined to share it - but not before Tony had finished his story. Steve wanted to know how Tony thought it ended.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And I spent </span>
  <em>
    <span>way</span>
  </em>
  <span> too long arguing with myself about whether it was better to wake you or leave you, in an adorably neurotic way - but </span>
  <em>
    <span>that’s</span>
  </em>
  <span> a whole other thing,” Tony continued. “The point is, eventually I decided to just leave you a glass of water and go… And I think I kind of almost woke you, because you sort of shifted, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>yawned</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and fell back to sleep…” And then he gave his head a self conscious little shake, blushing deeper as he added, “and I distinctly remember thinking, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Jesus Christ, he’s even pretty when he yawns.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Like, the mattress commercial </span>
  <em>
    <span>specifically</span>
  </em>
  <span> promised this wouldn’t happen…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Again, it was the delivery that Steve laughed at - although, already it was edged with a softer sort of amazement, as he allowed himself to be genuinely touched by the sentiment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And that was </span>
  <em>
    <span>before</span>
  </em>
  <span> Tony carried on,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I actually panicked a little bit, because I think I knew even then that a part of it was just because it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Because there was so much… </span>
  <em>
    <span>affection</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and, I don’t know, </span>
  <em>
    <span>longing</span>
  </em>
  <span>, wrapped up in it… That it was partly because I liked the idea of watching you sleep, or it being sweet when </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> yawned, or, I don’t know… I decided not to think about it, anyway. Stormed off, probably jerked off angrily, started hating the mattress commercial…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve laughed again, but this time he was too moved for it to really break down into the giggles - and the insight he’d only just filed away, that he’d been so sure he could keep in his head for the next ninety seconds, had in fact already disappeared completely. He really would’ve moved on to the next line in the conversation, never even knowing there was something he’d forgotten, if Tony hadn’t casually added,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, you know, it’s not that I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> mushy - I just do it in a creepy, late-at-night, while-no-one-knows, kind of a way…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And - </span>
  <em>
    <span>ah!</span>
  </em>
  <span> That same spark of inspiration, just as shiny as the first time it’d occurred to him-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> remember that night, by the way,” Steve grinned, a little smug when he saw the flash of delighted surprise in Tony’s eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You do?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah - and not just because it’s the only time I ever fell asleep in the breakroom, although that’s why I’m sure it </span>
  <em>
    <span>is</span>
  </em>
  <span> the same night…” Steve explained. “I remember thinking I’d seen you, and wondering if I’d dreamed it… and then waking up a few hours later, and seeing the glass of water on the table, and feeling very… feeling </span>
  <em>
    <span>a lot</span>
  </em>
  <span>, about it, because… It felt a bit like the guy I had a crush on had noticed me,” he could feel the heat rushing up his neck as he was speaking, but in a </span>
  <em>
    <span>nice</span>
  </em>
  <span> way. A blush that had nothing to do with embarrassment or discomfort… something that felt innocent and human and sweet. “Which, obviously, I felt ridiculous about… But yeah, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>distinctly</span>
  </em>
  <span> remember the night that Tony Stark left me a glass of water while I was sleeping, actually. And I wasn’t even stoned then, so, </span>
  <em>
    <span>maybe</span>
  </em>
  <span>, I just get ‘mushy’ around you…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tony let go of a heavy breath, softening just a little in Steve’s arms, such a sincere, sweet expression on his face…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Steve just </span>
  <em>
    <span>had</span>
  </em>
  <span> to kiss him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had to </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> something with this overwhelming abundance of feeling, to find some way to express this excitement and happiness and affection, to have more of Tony, to give more to Tony, to be as close to him as he possibly could…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come here,” Steve whispered, as he was already leaning into him. He felt Tony’s smile melt against his mouth, the way he simply let Steve pull him close, falling deeper into the kiss as Steve teased his lips apart. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The warmth of it spread through Steve like a drug all of its own, until it felt like he was just floating on that wave of sensations. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>...The gentle drag of Tony’s lips on his. The heat of his mouth and the hint of his tongue, the taste of cherry cola and marijuana and </span>
  <em>
    <span>Tony</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>...The solid strength of Tony’s body. The compact muscles shifting under soft skin, the gentle rhythm of his breathing, the perfect shape of him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>...The </span>
  <em>
    <span>way</span>
  </em>
  <span> he moved against Steve’s hips, natural and unhurried and confident.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve let his hands run up Tony’s back, indulging in the smooth expanses of him under his palms. He felt Tony purr softly as one hand reached the back of his neck, Steve’s fingertips teasing into his hair again, guiding him into the kiss. There was a little flutter of sensitivity as Tony’s tongue traced along Steve’s bottom lip, an involuntary jerking of his hips and a corresponding moan from Tony-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tony broke away and gasped for air. For a second, Steve could barely see him through the cloud of dizziness - but he could </span>
  <em>
    <span>feel</span>
  </em>
  <span> him, shifting more urgently in his lap, the heavy rhythm of his breathing pulsing low in Steve’s thighs. And then he blinked, and saw Tony’s lips, soft and slightly swollen and damp…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then his eyes, so dark in this light they were almost black…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That low, comfortable heat finally flared into something else entirely, sudden and intense enough to shock some tension into Steve’s relaxed muscles. He could feel himself sitting more upright as he whispered close to Tony’s ear,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come to bed, let me fuck you, </span>
  <em>
    <span>please</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He heard Tony swallow, his fingers curling into the fabric of Steve’s shirt as he replied,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We don’t even have to go to bed, actually - I planned for this eventuality, this time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You what?” Steve panted, too busy mentally undressing Tony to bother working it out for himself. And then he saw Tony grin, and glance back over his shoulder at the coffee table…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>To what was quite obviously a tube of lube - which had, now that Steve thought about it, been sitting there the whole evening…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can call me presumptuous, if you like,” Tony smiled, and Steve just shook his head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, it’s just that apparently I’m now the sort of person that sees a tube of lube on the coffee table and thinks, </span>
  <em>
    <span>yeah, that’s a familiar thing that I won’t think anything more about - that’s the sort of thing that should just be about the place</span>
  </em>
  <span>...”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tony actually threw his head back when he laughed that time, a joyous, musical sound that rippled through his ribs and somehow lit up his entire body. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>At another time it might’ve spoiled the mood, but right now it just fed into it - yet another reminder of how much Steve loved him, another reason to want to touch him…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He took the opportunity to bury his head in Tony’s neck, breathing him in before he started sucking slow, deep kisses against his throat. He heard Tony’s laughter become lighter and breathier, before it broke down into smiling murmurs and purring moaning… </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve’s hands found their way under Tony’s t-shirt of their own accord, stroking possessively over his sides, just following the movement of Tony lifting his arms until he pushed  his shirt up over his head. Immediately, Steve leant in to kiss him again - but Tony was already grabbing at his clothes, impatiently gathering the fabric of his shirt at his shoulders until Steve grinned and shrugged his way out of it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh Steve…” Tony breathed, as he ran the flats of his palms over his arms. “I still can’t believe I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>allowed</span>
  </em>
  <span> to touch you…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Steve could think of so many reasons that </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> was ridiculous, that he didn’t even bother - he just threw his arms around Tony, revelling in the feeling of Tony’s skin on his as he kissed him again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a low, pleading sound from low in Tony’s throat. He began clawing more desperately at Steve’s back, rocking into Steve’s hips with shorter, more deliberate movements. Steve’s cock throbbed hard against his jeans, pulsing sharply in time with Tony’s rhythm, frustrating the ache that was spreading all the way along his back-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eventually, Steve’s patience snapped, and he found himself bodily lifting Tony against his chest so that he could turn and lie him down on the couch. Tony gave a delighted yelp, leaning up into Steve even as he was crawling over the top of him - but Steve placed a firm palm to his shoulder, encouraging him to lie down. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He wanted to look at him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve might’ve liked to </span>
  <em>
    <span>just</span>
  </em>
  <span> look at him for a moment, except that he didn’t have anywhere near that much self control left. Instead, his hands went immediately to Tony’s belt buckle, his eyes sweeping over Tony’s chest as he tugged his pants down over his hips. And Steve </span>
  <em>
    <span>might’ve</span>
  </em>
  <span> been briefly distracted then, watching the way Tony arced his back to wriggle out of his clothes… But then Steve’s hands ran over the bare skin of Tony’s thighs, and Steve remembered how much he loved Tony’s thighs-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That was it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It didn’t occur to him to over think it, there was no reason not to follow that idea - no other thoughts in his head, as he grinned at Tony and moved lower down his body. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keening softly, Tony finished kicking his pants over his feet, so that he could open his legs wider, one foot dangling over the edge of their extravagantly large couch. Steve smiled as he dropped his head to press a gentle kiss to Tony’s stomach, his fingers teasing over the waistband of Tony’s underwear-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then shuffled lower, to suck a deep, bruising kiss to the tender skin on the inside of Tony’s thigh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Steve, Fuck, Jesus Fuck-” Tony barked, his hips snapping upwards. Steve responded by nipping at him lightly, caressing his hands firmly over the dense muscle at the top of Tony’s legs, his fingertips digging into the curve of Tony’s hipbones before he dragged them back down over Tony’s thighs again. “God, your beautiful hands, </span>
  <em>
    <span>fuck</span>
  </em>
  <span>…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grinning, Steve rolled to pepper the same bites and kisses along the inside of Tony’s other leg, this time letting one hand stroke up over the outline of Tony’s cock, pressed hard and wet against the fabric of his boxershorts. Tony groaned, rocking up against Steve’s palm, one hand grabbing roughly at the back of Steve’s head and the other clawing noisily at the couch cushions. Steve could feel that ache inside him twisting tighter and tighter, spiking sharply when Tony let go of an especially wanton </span>
  <em>
    <span>please</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Simply following that impulse, Steve sat up swiftly, grabbing Tony by the hips and rolling him onto his front before he had the chance to protest. Steve heard the specific moan as Tony felt the friction of the couch against his cock. He watched as Tony writhed into it, the movement rolling down his back-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then remembered how much he loved Tony’s ass.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That was it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He only bothered to drag Tony’s underwear down as far as his knees before he was groping him with both hands, roughly caressing his thumbs over the curve of Tony’s ass as he spread him open. Tony gasped, and writhed back, dropping his head forward and trying to push some of his weight onto his knees - </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Like he was trying to offer himself up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Growling, Steve made an especially graceless lean to snatch the little tube of lube up from the table, one hand still stroking roughly over Tony’s hip. Tony finally managed to push himself up onto his forearms and knees, parting his legs as he lowered his shoulders.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jesus Tony,” Steve breathed, his eyes following Tony’s movements as he poured a generous helping of lube onto his fingers - and quite a bit onto the couch…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve watched Tony flinch as he pressed hard against his rim, warning himself to go slow as he pushed two fingers inside him - which was made that bit more difficult when Tony groaned, and rocked back against his hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh God Steve, please…” Tony begged, flexing the muscles in his back, writhing down into his hips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“God you’re gorgeous…” Steve murmured, almost talking to himself. “You look </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> good like this, you have no idea…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Steve!” Tony barked, as Steve twisted his knuckles inside him - and Steve liked that sound, so he did it again. And again, and again... “God, Steve, more, again, ple-</span>
  <em>
    <span>ah!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve could’ve fallen into that moment - watching Tony work himself off against his fingers, his thighs pulled taut, whimpering and pleading in harmony with Steve’s increasingly determined movements… But the pressure of his own desperation was building with every sound Tony made, quickly overwhelming what was left of his resolve. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tony keened piteously when Steve pulled his hand away, still writhing against the air as Steve unzipped his jeans and pulled his cock free. He poured a generous amount of lube into his palm before carelessly tossing the tube aside, his free hand immediately going back to groping Tony’s ass as he slicked himself up. He ran a rough thumb over Tony’s hole, jerking himself off harder as Tony shuddered, and pleaded,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Please</span>
  </em>
  <span> fuck me Steve, please-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And, God, Steve wanted to fuck him-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And he wanted to kiss him-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He wanted to watch Tony’s face as he pushed inside him-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was all just the same immediate, obvious impulse. Steve pulled Tony’s underwear the rest of the way down his legs and rolled him onto his back again, hurriedly positioning himself between Tony’s thighs. Tony arched into him, hooking his legs around Steve’s waist and trying to wriggle closer, still whispering </span>
  <em>
    <span>please, please, please</span>
  </em>
  <span>, under his breath-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Until Steve pushed his cock inside him in one swift, smooth thrust.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Fuck, Fuck, Jesus Fuck-</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Tony barked, throwing his head back against the cushions as he tensed his entire body down into Steve. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve held himself still for a second, his heart beating hard against his ribs as that initial surge of pleasure flooded his limbs- </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then he felt Tony fidget urgently against him, sending a searing friction curling through Steve’s hips, sharper and more immediate. Steve thrust into him, short and hard, igniting a hot burst of blissful release that consumed itself all too quickly. Steve’s body moved of its own accord, fuelled by that burning need, simply chasing that feeling as he jerked into Tony, fierce and fast, again and again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, God baby, yes, so good,” Tony babbled thoughtlessly, his voice high and tight-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Steve </span>
  <em>
    <span>loved</span>
  </em>
  <span> it when Tony called him </span>
  <em>
    <span>baby</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He loved it when Tony lost control like this, he loved the needy little noises he made and the way he moved-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then Tony looked up at him, his lips parted, his eyes flashing wide everytime Steve fucked into him-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Steve wanted to kiss him-</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Had</span>
  </em>
  <span> to kiss him-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tony let go of a near feral moan as Steve buried his cock deep inside him, falling forward to rest his weight on his arms, his chest pressed up against Tony’s. He’d barely had time to catch his breath before Steve had covered his mouth in a possessive kiss. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fuck, he felt </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> good. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The rough caress of Tony’s skin, all the way along Steve’s body. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The desperate heat of his lips, kissing Steve back every bit as hungrily.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The ever increasing pleasure of Tony writhing on his cock-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then he felt Tony tense against him, one hand dropping to grab at Steve’s hip, seeking greater purchase. He could hear the way Tony’s breath was catching, the way his wordless pleading was stalling his throat. Groaning, Steve broke the kiss and pushed himself up just enough to thrust into Tony harder, watching Tony’s face as he bit his bottom lip, his brow hardening, his eyes falling shut…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Somewhat clumsily, Steve braced his weight onto one arm, so that he could run a firm hand between them, over Tony’s stomach, until he was roughly palming the head of Tony’s cock.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh God, Steve, I’m so close, I can’t-” Tony gasped, throwing his head back further, bucking more frantically against Steve’s movements, sending such intense shocks of pleasure through Steve’s hips that he was amazed they hadn’t broken him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look at me baby, please,” Steve hissed, thrusting into him again, pushing up against his own limit again, </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> close-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And then Tony looked up at him, his eyes wet and wide and wild, his jaw set in fierce determination-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve saw the little flash of awed panic as Tony’s entire body clenched tight around him, that desperate need coiling even deeper in Steve’s core as Tony groaned low in his chest and came hard across Steve’s hand.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve watched that pretty, overwhelmed expression wash over Tony’s features, his shoulders still taut and trembling as he rode out his climax, grinding relentlessly against that unbearable ache-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Until at last, it broke. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve’s hands went to Tony’s waist, pulling him close as he came inside him. A white hot pleasure shot along Steve’s spine, slicing through all that tensing, setting loose an overwhelming flood of release in its wake…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then a light, shimmering sort of sensation, and a pleasant throbbing low in his muscles, and a warm, heavy feeling of complete and total rightness…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For a second or two Steve was entirely immersed in that feeling, like he was submerged in his own heartbeat, not sure where he ended and the universe began.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And then he heard Tony choke out a breath.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, God, Steve…” he whispered, hot against Steve’s chest, his arms hanging heavy over Steve’s back - and before he remembered any words, Steve remembered that imperative to make Tony comfortable. That </span>
  <em>
    <span>awareness</span>
  </em>
  <span> that he had to move first…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Breath still heaving, Steve pulled out of Tony and snaked a hand under the small of his back, pulling him close as he rolled onto his side. And then he felt Tony settle against him, the warm weight of him melting comfortably into Steve’s embrace, and he knew</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>...that’s better</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>...that’s right</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They laid there quietly for a few minutes, gulping for air as the aftershocks rolled through them...slowly spreading into a more general feeling of warm contentment. When conscious thought did return to him, Steve could only think of how happy he was, how good everything felt, how very in love he was…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And then Tony just… Started talking.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You are such an incredible, wonderful person Steve, so good and brave and kind… and </span>
  <em>
    <span>beautiful, </span>
  </em>
  <span>and strong…” he whispered into Steve’s skin, his voice still raw, “and I </span>
  <em>
    <span>love</span>
  </em>
  <span> you, I love just being </span>
  <em>
    <span>around</span>
  </em>
  <span> you, just getting to see the world with you in it - and I </span>
  <em>
    <span>can’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> believe I get to touch you. I can’t believe there is anything as wonderful as having you put your arms around me - I can’t even believe it </span>
  <em>
    <span>exists</span>
  </em>
  <span>.. That I’m here, like this. And there is nothing I could ever want more, not in any magical reality or perfect afterlife or </span>
  <em>
    <span>anything</span>
  </em>
  <span>, than lying here with you like this, I can’t…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He seemed to give into exhaustion as much as emotion, trailing off into a sigh as he rested his head against Steve’s chest again…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Steve had to swallow down a sudden tearfulness, before he could answer him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Truthfully, Steve still couldn’t comprehend that Tony loved him. He </span>
  <em>
    <span>believed</span>
  </em>
  <span> it - which was in itself a revelation so overwhelming that it could still knock him out of his train of thought, on occasion. But then, he </span>
  <em>
    <span>believed</span>
  </em>
  <span> that Dr Strange could really see through all of time… That didn’t mean Steve had gotten his head around it. And the idea that Tony Stark really loved him was still every bit as amazing to Steve. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He thought about trying to explain all of that - but he was just too dizzy, right now.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You get incredibly mushy when you’re stoned,” he slurred instead, running a heavy hand through Tony’s hair. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tony just giggled. </span>
</p><p>
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